Brake beam support and safety device



Aug. 5, 1958 1. J. SPAETH 2,846,033

BRAKE BEAM SUPPORT AND SAFETY DEVICE Filed July 3, 1952 IIN Um INVENTOR.

Unitcd States Patent 2,846,033 BRAKE BEAM SUPPORT AND SAFETY DEVICE Irvin J. Spaeth, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Railvzay Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation 0 015 Application July 3, 19s,2, Serial No. 296,997 6 Claims. or. 188-213) The invention relates to railway rolling stock truck brake beams and the guiding of such beams in their movement towards and from the truck wheels and to the safeguarding of such beams from falling to the rail in the event of the failure of the usual hanger or other means normally carrying the. beam, A device for generally similar purposes is described in,E...G. Busse Patent No. 2,196,249, issued April 9, 19.40, and comprising a brake beam support guide and safety guard device, including a plurality of parts particularly adapted for application to a built-up truss type beam in which the main compression and tension members of the beam converging to- 2,846,033 Patented Aug. s, 1958 wheels 11 as the brakes are applied and released.

Mounted on each beam end portion 4 is a support guard and safety device comprising a body 12 and an elongated arm 13 extending from body 12 transversely of the beam and terminating in a shoe 14 arranged to slidably engage a suitable track 15, shown as a resilient bar carried by a bracket 16 which may form part of or be mounted upon the truck frame.

The device body 12 is of U-section forming spaced upper and lower jaws 17 and 18, respectively, applicable over the beam section top and bottom walls 5, 6, respecwards each other near the beam ends only meet. each other immediately adjacent to the brake heads mounted on the'beam ends,- andtheguard-guide. device is applied to the beamat a point where the compression and tension members of the beams are spaced from each other.

The present invention particularly relates to a brakev beam of the type in which the beam compression. and tension/members merge with each other at points spaced inwardly from; the ends of the beam and there is no gap. betweengthesemembers where the guard-guide device is applied and into which the device may be fitted or received.

Themainobject ofthe invention is to provide'a simple, effective, and; economical guide and safety device, readily.

applied to and removed from the beam and definitely positioned upon the beam by cooperating elements on the beam and device, an additional object being that the movement. of the device relative to the beam is substantially prevented by integralparts of the device andbeam, making it unnecessary to rely upon a frictional clamping of the beam by the device, or upon parts likely to become insecurewhen subject to the jolting and other rough usage to which railway brake beams and associated parts arev subjected.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a topview-of a railway brake beam and -fourth point device's. adapted to support, guide and guard the beam in its movement to and from the truck Wheels. .1 l

Figure 2'is'a vertical section taken on the line 2'--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detailed vertical section taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detailed vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detailed vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

The brake beam illustrated is of the one-piece cast truss type including a compression member 1, a tension member 2, and a strut 3, the compression and tension members merging with each other at 4 to form box-like end sections, best shown in Figure 2, each of which intively, as the beam is received through the open end of the body.

A retaining pin or bolt 19 extends through jaws 17, 18 and walls 5, 6 and holds the guard-guide device from movement transversely of the beam. Preferably beam walls 5, 6 have projecting ridges 20 extending transversely of the length of the beam, and the device jaws 17, 18 have corresponding recesses 17a, 18a (Figure 5), receiving ridges 20, thus providing integral opposing elements on the jaws and beam efiectively resisting movement of the guard-guide device longitudinally of thebeam, or angularly of the beam. Ridges 20 may be relatively short and aligned with retainer 19, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, or may extend from. side to side of the beam at the side of retainer-19.

Ordinarily the jaws would be spaced to provide easy passage thereof over the beam, and bolt 19 may be tightened to draw the jaws: against the beam and prevent play between them. When the brakes are applied and the beam moves towards the wheel, the thrust against the guard-guide device is transmitted directly to the inner upright wall of the body and is not applied to retainer 19.

By making the upright wall 22 of body 12' wedgeshaped, as-best shown in Figure 3', diverging flat surfaces 23 are provided to oppose'the inclined wall 8 of the beam, irrespective of the end of the beam to which the device is: applied, and the latter is interchangeable and,

right hand and left hand castings are not required.

The structure, described attains the general objectives set forth in the introductory portion of this specification and constitutes a simple, effective device,well adapted for guiding, guarding, and supporting the type of brake beamillustrated. The details of the structure may be variedsteel brake beam having tension and compression mernbers: converging outboard'ly and merging: with tubular end portions having top, bottom, front and rear walls, said top and bottom walls having vertically aligned apertures and bosses on diametrically opposed sides of each aperture, said bosses and apertures being aligned in a vertical plane transversely of the beam, a fourth point support chair comprising a body, a pair of arms integral with the body snugly straddling a tubular end portion, said arms extending transversely of and parallel to the plane of the beam with one arm engaging the top wall and the other arm engaging the bottom wall, said arms being of greater width than thickness, said arms having elongated recesses to receive said bosses responsive to movement of said chair transversely of the beam and openings in alignment with said apertures, and a fastener extending through said openings and apertures operative to flex the arms into tight abutting engagement against said top and bottom walls to securethe chair to said beam, said bosses coacting with saidfastener, to, resist movement of said chair relative to said beam.

'2. In a brake rigging, a one-piece cast steel truss type brake beam having tension and compression members of channel section converging outboardly and merging to form tubular end portions of generally rectangular sec-. tion having top, bottom, front and rear walls, a fourth point support chair comprising a body having spaced arms integral therewith snugly engaging related top and bottom walls therebetween, said arms and tubular end portion having vertically aligned bolt apertures, said arms having elongated V-shaped recesses adjacent their related walls, said top and bottom walls having V-shaped bosses complementally engaged in said recesses, and a bolt in said apertures flexing said arms against said tubular end portion, related bosses and apertures being aligned in a vertical plane transversely of the beam, said chair having a foot disposed forwardly and downwardly from said arms, said recesses extending to the ends of their respective arms to slidably receive their respective bosses during assembly.

3. In a brake rigging, a one-piece cast steel truss type brake beam having tension and compression members converging outboardly and merging with tubular end portransversely of the beam, said arms having openings in alignment with said apertures, and a fastener extending through said openings and apertures operative to flex the arms into tight abutting engagement against said top and bottom walls to secure the chair to the beam, said bosses coacting with said fastener to resist movement of the chair lengthwise of the beam.

5. A railway brake beam fourth point support chair comprising a one-piece elongated relatively narrow body terminating at one end in a downwardly facing shoe, constructed and adapted to slidably engage a supporting track, and terminating at the opposite end in vertically spaced opposing jaws in substantial alignment'lengthwise with said shoe, the space between said jaws opening toward the jaw end of the chair and being adapted to slidably receive a brake beam main member between the jaws by movement of the device lengthwise of the same in a direction transversely'of the length of the brake beam member, the inner face of at least one of said jaws being provided with a recess extending inwardlyfrom theouter end of said jaw lengthwise of the jaw and adapted to slidably receive a vertical projection on the beam member to prevent movement'of the support tions of generally rectangular section having top, bottom,

front and rear walls, a fourth point support chair comprising a body having spaced arms integral therewith snugly engaging related top and bottom walls therebetween, said arms and tubular end portion having vertically aligned bolt apertures, the inner opposed sides of said arms having elongated recesses extending to the ends thereof, said top and bottom walls having bosses on opposite sides of the arm apertures engaged in said recesses, and a bolt in said apertures clamping said tubular end portion between said arms, the front walls of said tubular end portions diverging rearwardly, and said chair body having rearwardly converging surfaces between the inner ends of said arms selectivelyengageable along common planes with said front walls to adapt the chair for use on either end of the beam.

4. A brake beam structure comprising a one-piece cast steel brake beam having tension and compression members converging outboardly and merging with tubular end portions having top, bottom, front and rear walls, said top and bottom walls having vertically aligned apertures, there being bosses on diametrically opposed sides of at least one of said apertures, said bosses being spaced apart transversely of the beam, afourth point support chair comprising a body having a. support engageable foot and a pair of integral arms extending therefrom and snugly straddling a tubular end portion of the beam, said arms extending transversely of and parallel to the plane of the beam with one arm engaging the beam top wall and the other arm engaging the beam bottom wall, at least one of said arms having an elongated recess open to the outer end of the arms to receive the corre-- sponding bosses responsive to movement of the chair along the beam member. I

6. A railway brake beam fourth point support chair comprising an elongated body having an upright intermediate portion, there being a guide engaging shoe integral with and extending from said upright portion in one direction andthere being a single pair of vertically spaced arms integral with and extending from said portion in the opposite direction and arranged to slidably receive a brake beam member between their outer ends, said arms having vertically aligned bolt apertures intermediate said upright portion and the outer ends of the arms, the opposing faces of said arms having recesses extending substantially throughout the length of the arms and open at the outer ends of the arms and aligned with said shoe and adapted to slidably receive vertical projections on an associated beam and to oppose the same transversely of said arms to prevent shifting of the chair along the beam, a bolt extending through said apertures and provided with a nut whereby said armsmay be distorted to clamp a related brake beam between them.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Great Britain June 19, 1913 

